1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to storage apparatus, and more particularly to magnetic apparatus for holding and storing small acticles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to employ magnets to hold magnetic material in desired locations. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,164,623; 2,176,052; 2,641,793; 2,901,804 and 3,007,568 provide examples of devices that utilize one or more magnets to perform holding functions. U.S. Pat. No. 361,248 describes several applications of two or more magnets cooperating to hold metallic articles such as needles and small tools. A drawback of the holders of the U.S. Pat. No. 361,248 is that the stored articles lie exposed on the magnets, thus making them prone to be accidently knocked off the magnets, expecially if the holders are moved about from job to job. A strap or eye for suspending the holders on nails emphasizes non-portability. Further, the stored articles are not separated from each other in an organized manner, thereby making it difficult and cumbersome to remove one article without disturbing adjacent ones. This is particularly true in the case of small closely spaced articles, such as needles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,394 discloses a dispenser for articles of magnetic material, such as needles. The dispenser includes a magnetic carrier that slides within a case to project the needles out of the case and to withdraw them from view into the case. A disadvantage of the dispenser of the U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,394 is that only the tips of the stored needles are subjected to the magnetic holding force. Thus, the needles are likely to fall out of the dispenser if it is turned sideways or upside down, and they almost certainly will fall out if the dispenser is jarred when in those attitudes. Further handicaps of the dispenser include the requirement that the needles or other articles have approximately equal lengths, and the expense of machining and assembling the several parts that comprise the case and movable magnetic carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,799 teaches a commuter ticket holder having a magnet that enables the holder to be placed on a metal structure. The magnet extends through the base piece and is flush with the front side of the ticket holder base piece and protrudes slightly behind the base piece back. The commuter tickets, being nonmetallic, are retained in the holder by a fixed clip and a sliding clip and not by the magnet. It is apparent that the holder of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,799 is limited to holding articles shaped as thin flat sheets of approximately equal size, and that the holder is not intended for holding magnetic articles.
Thus, a need exists for a portable and inexpensive magnetic holding device that securely holds a number of different sized metallic articles while providing ready and convenient access to the stored articles.